Camera Help

[TruckLover]

Truck-
Happened on this thread and had to answer your part about lighting.
I use a mid range camera and do all the photogrphy for my wife's jewelry web site.
When I first started, I had the same light color problem and did some research. I came up with a pretty simple answer. CFLs (compact fluorecent bulbs). I bought these in a screw base type and used inexpensive clip on holders. 150% difference! No need to do the Photoshop light correction anymore and the jewelry looks perfect. You do need to get bulbs with a daylight Kelvin rating and high CRI. I bought 13w, 6500K, 85 CRI bulbs and screwed them into clamp-on fixtures I bought at Staples. But those aluminum dome-topped jobsite ones at the big box store will work fine.
the on-line dealer and bulbs are:http://www.bulbs.com/eSpec.aspx?ID=14712&Ref=Compact+Fluorescent+Screw-in&RefId=20&Ref2=Light+Bulbs
Don't just use the ones at the stores. The CRI is the most important number. You'll even find these good lights for the layout if you don't have the daylight tubes yet.

Just some more info on Adobe Photoshop.
Check out e-bay for prices. Photoshop Elements 7 (PSE)is $89 and Photoshop 6 - the full edition- but last years is $129.
Elements is the limited edition of Photoshop. The PS 6 is being used by many as 7 just came out this year. If you can afford it, go for the full version, but an older copy is fine.
I am using PSE5 which works fine for me but if you ever want to do more editing, etc. PS full version is best. Although some in this hobby are preaching the benefits of Lightscribe by Adobe
Dave Mason

Thanks for all the info Dave, BTW, welcome to the gauge :mrgreen:

I do want Photoshop (the full version), and i will eventually get it :mrgreen:

Im going to have to write some of this stuff down, im going to look like an idiot when i go to buy this stuff at Lowes lol. Im am clueless about light bulbs and such, so i cannot thank you guys enough for giving me all the help and what i should buy :thumb: :mrgreen:

 

[Russ Bellinis]

In quality, but not in quantity.

Wayne

Thanks Wayne. That was the reason that I keep harping on using incandescent daylight spectrum bulbs for photography. Also the daylight spectrum is not needed for normal layout viewing. As you have noted the human eye compensates to see what it thinks the scene should look like rather than what the color has shifted to because of the light. For me the important thing with daylight spectrum is that when the house remodel is completed, my modeling desk will have a full spectrum flourescent bulbs in spotlights lighting the work area with cool white bulbs for background lighting.

 

[Squidbait]

Russ,

Daylight spectrum lights are great for layout lighting, but with a decent digital camera, automatic white balance will correct for any colour-temperature lighting. All you need then are lumens, and lots of them!

 

[Art Decko]

I do want Photoshop (the full version), and i will eventually get it

As someone who has been doing pc graphics since pc's have been around, I'd like to suggest: forget Photoshop for right now.

Learning to edit pc graphics with Photoshop would be like trying to learn to drive by going down to the airport and buying a Concorde. It would probably take days just to learn how to properly start the engines, much less move the thing. Better to start with a go-cart, a tractor, or maybe a VW Beetle - especially if you are just looking for something to drive to the local supermarket.

Before considering something like Photoshop, I suggest acquainting yourself with the basics of doing graphics. Start out with something simple. There are many free apps you can download that are plenty powerful enough for learning the basics. When you outgrow the application, move to a more complex one. Maybe your second or third app could be Photoshop Elements. If you reach a point where Elements can no longer do what you want, maybe then you can think about spending some buck$ on the full-blown version.

In the meantime, you can have fun spending your money on your layout and beautiful scale trucks instead.